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'9' Director Shane Acker Set to Direct 'Beasts of Burden' for Reel FX

by Alex Billington
February 20, 2013
Source: Deadline

Good news for fans of Shane Acker, director of the acclaimed animated film 9 from a few years back, he's lined up another animation project. Deadline/Variety report that Reel FX Creative Studios (of Open Season 2 & 3, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away, Turkeys) has signed on Shane Acker to direct their new CG animated feature Beasts Of Burden, based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name. The comics are about a team of investigative animals — five dogs and a cat named Orphan. Ever since first seeing 9 I've been keeping a close watch on Acker, who has lined up a few projects, none of which have hit the screen yet.

Beasts of Burden is a Dark Horse Comics team of animals, created by writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson, that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill. The screenplay for the big screen adaptation is being written by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After, Jack the Giant Slayer, DreamWorks Anim's Turbo) straight from the comics. Aron Warner, Reel FX's President of Animation, is producing the film with Mike Richardson from Dark Horse Entertainment and Andrew Adamson from Strange Weather. Shane Acker is also attached to a Thomas the Tank Engine movie and something called Deep, but it seems like Reel FX is very excited to have him working on Beasts for now.

Filed under Animation, Development, Movie News

From around the web:

emagsamurai

9 was stop motion?
- http://www.facebook.com/matt.peloquin.14 Matt Peloquin
  
  No it was not, but it did remind me of the style of Nightmare before Christmas or James and the Giant Peach.
  - emagsamurai
    
    Looks like Alex updated the article. I can certainly see the animation in those movies.
https://twitter.com/online_movies_0 john

Taste some Naruto, Kakashi jutsu
David Banner

I'd rather see a We3 movie. Some old info on the We3 movie, wikipedia: "In 2006, New Line Cinema optioned We3 as a film project with Morrison attached as screenwriter. The script was completed in 2006, and Don Murphy, Susan Montford and Rick Benattar remain attached as producers with the film currently in development. If the film is made, the cybernetic animals would be completely computer-generated. On December 9th, 2008, it was reported that John Stevenson, director of Kung Fu Panda was attached to the project as a director, and that New Line Cinema was no longer involved"